The String of Pearls (1850), p. 680

These words were very satisfactory to Todd. He had no objection in the world to its being rather a bad night on the river; but he certainly had a great objection to risking his life. Discomfort was a thing that gave him no concern. He knew well that that would pass away.
"If you are willing," he said, "let us, then, start at once, and I will not hold you to your bargain if the weather should happen to turn very bad. We can, in such a case, easily, I dare say, put in at some of the numerous stairs on one side or other of the river."
"There will be no need of that, sir," said the old waterman. "If you go, and if you choose to go all the way, we will put you on shore at Greenwich."
"How about London Bridge?" said the younger man, in atone of some anxiety.
"Better than usual," said Jack. "It is just the time to shoot it nicely, for the tide will be at a point, and won't know exactly whether to go one way or the other."
"It's all right, then?"
"It is."
Todd himself had had his suspicions that the passage of old London Bridge would be one of no ordinary difficulty on such a night as that, but he knew that if the tide was at that point which the old man mentioned, that it might be passed with the most perfect safety, and it was a matter of no small gratification to him to hear from such a competent authority that such was the fact just then.
"Let us go at once," he said.
"All's right, sir. Our wherry is just at the foot of the stairs, here. I will pull her in, Harry."
The old man ran down the slippery stairs with the activity of a boy, and as Todd and Harry followed him, the latter said, in quite a confidential tone of voice—
"Ah, sir, you may trust to his judgment on anything that has anything to do with the river."
"I am glad to hear it."
"Yes, sir, and so am I. Now I thought I knew something, and I shouldn't have ventured to take you, or if I had, it would have been with rather a faint heart; but now that the old man, sir, says it's all right, I feel as comfortable as needs be in the matter."
By this time they had reached the foot of the steps, which was being laved by the tide, and there the old man had the boat safely in hand.
"Now for it, sir," he said. "Jump in."
Todd did so, and the younger waterman followed him. He and his aged companion immediately took their places, and Todd stretched himself in the stern of the little craft.
The rain now came down in absolute torrents as the boat was pushed off by the two watermen into the middle of the stream.

CHAPTER CXX
THE POLICE-GALLEY ON THE THAMES, AND ITS FATE.

What an anxious and protracted glance Todd cast around him when he found that he was fairly upon the river. How his eyes, with fox-like cunning, glistening like two lead-coloured stars, were here, and there, and everywhere, in the course of a few moments. Then he contrived to speak, as he thought, craftily enough.
"There are but few boats on the river."
"No, sir," said the young waterman. "It isn't everybody that cares to come on the river in such weather as this."
" No, sir," said the young waterman. « It isn't everybody that cares to
come on the water m such weather as this.*

THE STRING OF PEARLS •

These words were very satisfactory to Todd. He had no objection in the
world to its being rather a bad night on the river ; but he certainly had a great
! objection to risking his life. Discomfort was a thing that gave him no concern.
He knew well that that would pass away*

" If you are willing/' he said, " let us, then, start at once, and I will not
hold you to your bargain if the weather should happen to turn very bad. We
can, in such a case, easily, ldare say, put in at some of the numerous stairs on
one side or other of the river."

"There will be no need of that, sir," said the old waterman. "If you go,
and if you choose to go all the way, we will put you on shore at Greenwich/'

" How about London Bridge?" said the younger man, in atone of some
anxiety.

* Better than usual/' said Jack. " It is just the time to shoot it nicely, for
the tide will be at a point, and won't know exactly whether to go oneway or the
other/'

* It's all right, then t*
"It is."

Todd himself had had his suspicions that the passage of old London Bridge
would be one of no ordinary difficulty on such a night as that, but he knew:
that if the tide was at that point which the old man mentioned, that it might
be passed with the most perfect safety, and it was a matter of no small gratifica-|
tion to him to hear from such a competent authority that such was the fact just
then. I

" Let us go at once/' he said. !

"All's right, sir. Our wherry is just at the foot of the stairs, here. I will
pull her in, Harry." j

The old man ran down the slinpery stairs with the activity of a boy, and as
Todd and Harry followed him, the latter said, in quite a confidential tone of
voice-— j

"Ah, sir, you may trust to his judgment on anything that has anything to
do with the river."

H I am glad to hear it."
" 4< Yes, sir, and so am I. Now I thought I knew something, and I shouldn't
have ventured to take you, or if I had, it would have been with rather a faint
heart ; but now that the old man, sir, says it's all right, I feel as comfortable as
needs be in the matter/'

By this time they had reached the foot of the steps, which was being laved
by the tide, and there the old man had the boat safely m hand. j

" Now for it, sir/' he said. M Jump in." j

Todd did so, and the younger waterman followed him. He and his aged
companion immediately took their places, and Todd stretched himself in the
stern of the little craft. \

The rain now came down in absolute torrents as the boat was pushed off by
the two watermen into the middle of the stream.

CHAPTER CXX

the Police-galley on the Thames, and its fate.

What an anxious and protracted glance Todd cast around him when he
found that he was fairly upon the river. How his eyes, with fox-like cunning, 1
glistening like two lead-coloured stars, were here, and there, and everywhere, in
the course of a few moments. Then he contrived to speak, as he thought,
craftily enough. *

M There are but few boats on the liver."

" No, sir," said the young waterman. « It isn't everybody that cares to
come on the water m such weather as this.*